Favorite topics

2002 MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK REVIEW

Senior pole vaulter Tony Bonucci (Princeton HS, Princeton, IL) and middle distance runner Brandon Vahl (Waukegan HS, Lindenhurst, IL) won the top awards for the 2002 Augustana Vikings men's track & field team. Bonucci, who won the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin title in the pole vault with a clearance of 15' 11", was named the Most Valuable Field Athlete while Vahl, who turned in a best time of 1:54.63 in the 800, was selected as the Most Valuable Track Athlete.

It was another solid year for veteran head coach Paul Olsen and the Vikings. The Blue & Gold won the Early Spring Opener (eight teams) on March 23, the Norsemen Relays (nine teams) on April 6 and the Vikings Olympics (12 teams) on April 13, placed third in the Midwest Intercollegiate Championships (37 teams) on May 17 and fourth in the Meet of Champions (10 teams) on April 20. In addition, the Vikings were second in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin on May 3-4 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A year ago Augustana had been third in the CCIW, the first time since 1963 that it had not finished either first or second in the league championship meet. Also in 2001 the Vikings did not have an individual conference champion for the first time since 1958. That was rectified as well in 2002 as Bonucci won the pole vault and Adam Talbot (Kewanee HS, Kewanee, IL) took first in the decathlon with a score of 6,289 points.

Doug Cochrane (Kirksville HS, Kirksville, MO) was named the Most Valuable Freshman for the field events while Nick Johnson (Lincoln Way HS, New Lenox, IL) and Ammon Paquette (United Township HS, Hampton, IL) shared the Most Valuable Freshman honor for track events. Cochrane had a best throw of 47' 7 3/4" in the shot put and 119' 3" in the discus. Johnson ran 9:21.5 in the 3000 steeplechase and Paquette recorded a time of 1:55.49 in the 800.

The Most Improved Athlete went to senior Creston Fenn (Pleasant Valley HS, Bettendorf, IA), an 800 runner who survived a career filled with injuries to run 1:55.26 this spring. Craig Lawrence (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, IL) was named the Most Inspirational Athlete.

During the 2002 season four athletes met NCAA Division III provisional qualifying standards a total of 10 times with Bonucci leading the way with five times in the pole vault. Talbot three times met the provisional mark in the decathlon while Randy Bill (Bureau Valley HS, Buda, IL) made it once in the 10,000 and Jeff Lindeman (Grayslake HS, Antioch, IL) cleared qualifying height once in the pole vault.

Gonzalez set the only new school record this year when he tossed the hammer 143' 2" at the CCIW meet on May 4, breaking the old mark of 116' 5" previously held by Joe Sipich in 1996.